Drilled or bored well bucket



April 21, 1925. 1 1,534,455

' K. E. LITTLE DRILLED OR BORED WELL BUCKET Filed May 13. 1922 WIMP n nunuu I $3 @1111. (Bad 33 1 mama. LITTLE; or

PATENT OFFICE.

DRILLED OR BORED WELL BUCKET.

Application filed May 13,

..TO, all ohom it may comer 1i.- v lfie itknown that I, KNnUuE. Lrrrnn, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Tahlequah, county of Cherokee, State of Oklahommlmvc invented certain new and useful Improvements in and llelating to Drilled or Bored ll ell .BllCl IQL'S O'f which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certainimprovenientsindrilled or bored well buckets; and the nature and objects of the invention will be rca t lily under tood by those skilled in the art to which it pertains, in the light of the following explanation and detailed description of the accompanying drawings illustrat- .ing what I at present consider to be the preferred embodiments orymechanical expressions of the invention from among other various forms, arrangements, combinations and constructions ofwhich it is capable within he spirit and scope thereof.

Those familiar with drilled wells and the operation and use ofbuckets forraising fluid therefrom, are aware of the (llillCUlilQS encountered in the use of well luickets therein caused bythe upper and lower ends of the buckets catching on or con tactingwith the walls of a well in raisingv and lowering a bucket therein, due to the rougrln. r: k ed and uneven condition of the walls of drilled or bored wells when not provided with casings, andwhen provided with casings due to bent or uneven joints between casing sections and to breaks in the casings.

The wear to which the ends of well buckets. are subjected due to this catching on or con: tacting with the walls of a well is considerable and occurs largely at the upper open endsof the buckets in raisingthem filled with fluid. As well known, in lowering these well buckets the lower ends and hottoms thereofaresubjected to impact with the body of fluid in the well and with the material at and forming the bottom of a well, with the resulting shocks and jars to j the lower end of a bucket and the frequent breakage thereof requiring the replacement of a bucket. Further, the and shocks resulting from the impact between the lower end of a bucket and a well in loweringthe bucket therein, have a detrimental effect on .the valve mechanism mounted in the lower.

end of a bucket on the bottom thereof which frequently causes the valve to be thrown fromalinement or otherwise injured to pre and bored 1922. Serial m5. 560,732

and mounting of the bucketbottoms with the combined inlet and discharge ports therethrough and the control valves mounted thereon, 1S such that the. impacts and jars and shocks to which the lower end of a bucket is subjected results in injury and breakage to the well bucket and the bottom thereof in such amanner that it is necessary to replace theentire bucket Aga1n,,thepreveiling construction and mounting of the controlling valves in the known well buckets is such thatthey are not accessible for inspection and repair, with the result that injuries thereto requirereplacement of the en tire bucket. j r

. T11erefore,one of the main and basic objects of the present invention is the provision of certain general improvements in the construction and arrarugementv ofthe types of drilled or bored well buckets at present in use, in order to overcome and solve certain of the problems encountered in the use thereof and inherent in theprevailing constructions of such buckets.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction and mounting of bot TAHLEQUAH, OKLAHOMA, ASSIG-NOR T0 HORACE VICKERY LITTLE,0F PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

vent proper operation thereof in the use of tom closure for drilled or bored well buckets which forms a protection for andstrengthening of the lower end of a bucket to prevent injury thereto in use, the impacts to which the lower end of such buckets are subjected being received by the bucket bottom which is readily replaceable as a unit wheninjured or broken.

A further object of the invention is to pro- .vide certain improvements in the construction and mounting of the valve controlling the" combined inlet and discharge port through the bucket bottom, so that the valve is maintained in proper operative alinement under the jars and shocks to which subjected, and whichis so mounted as to be readily accessible .and'removable for inspection and repair, the valve mechanism beingconstructed to form a unit which can be replaced independently of and witlout rearranging or replacing the other elements forming a bucket. j j

A further object of the invention isto provide an improvedconstruction and arrange.

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' jects in view, which other objects will be readily recognize and appreciated by those familiar with the arts involved, the invention consists in certain novel features in constructions and in -combinations and arrange ment of parts as will be more fully and particularly pointed out and specified in detail hereinafter.

Referring'to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is an elevation of a drilled or bored well bucket embodying the features of the present invention. F igQ 2 is a vertical, transverse section through the lower end of and the bottom closure ot the bucket disclosed in Fig. 1, showing particularly the construction and mounting of bottom closure in and to the lower end of the bucket and the construction ofthe valve and mounting thereof on and to the bottom closure.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the bottom closure and valve mounted thereon.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through the upper end of the well bucket, showing the construction, arrangement and mounting of the bails of the present invention.

In the accompanying drawings an allmetal embodiment of well bucket in which the various features of the invention are incorporated, is illustrated by way of a preferred example of the invention, although it is to be understood that certain features of the invention are not limited to presentation and embodiment in an all-metal well bucket as they are equally applicable to other materials and to well buckets generally.

The illustrated example of the invention provides a well bucket A, comprising the elongatedcylindrical bucket body 10 formed. of sheet metal and provided with a bottom or closure attached to, .mounted in and closing the lower end of the bucket body 10. The upper end of the body 10 is provided with the bails and 31 for a purpose hereinafter referred to and described in detail.

The sheet metal bucket body 10 is formed with thereduced upper and lower ends 11 andl2, respectively, provided by longitudinally crimping or corrugating the sheet metal of which the bucket body is formed. Adjacent the upper and lower reduced corrugated ends 11 and 12, respectively, annular -interior stiffening beads or ribs 13 and 14 respectively, are pressed, stamped or otherwise formed in .and circumferentially of the metal bucket body 10.

The bucketbottomclosure20, in the present instance, comprises :a one-piece metal unit stamped, pressed or otherwise formed, to provide a cup-shaped closure having the substantially flat, horizontally disposed bottom wall 21 and the depending vertically disposed annular side wall 22. The bottom closure 20 is inserted within the lower end 12 of the bucket body 10 with the bottom wall 21 innermost or inset and with the depending side wall :22 extending outwardly from the end of the bucket body 10. The outer lower edge of the side wall '22 of the closure 20 is bent or otherwise turned outwardly and upwardly to provide the outer annular flange 23 extending circumferentially around and spaced from the exterior of the side wall 22, to provide an annular seat or groove around .the outer end .of the bottom closure 20 into which the lower reducedend 12 of the bucket body 10 is fitted and secured. The bottom closure 20 is mounted in position extending within and closing .the lower end .of the bucket body 10 by inserting the lower reduced end 12 of the bucket body into the groove formed by the annular flange 23 of the bottom closure and rigidly and tightly attaching the bottom closure within the bucket body by means of a series of rivets 24; secured through the lower end 12 of the bucket body above the flange 23, and the adjacent side wall 22 of the bottom closure 20. Preferably, the joint between the bottom closure 20 and the lowered reduced end of the bucket body 10 is suitably sealed against leakage by means of solder (not shown) or some similar sealing and binding means applied on the exterior of the bucket in and over the flange 23 and the lower end 12 of the bucket body attached in the groove formed between the flange 23 and the side wall 22 of the bottom closure.

It will be noted from the foregoing that the cup-shaped bottom closure 20 is inset within the lower end of the bucket body 10 with the horizontally disposed bottom wall 21 disposed a distance inwardly from and above the extreme lower end edge of the body, and further that the lower end edge of the body 10 is covered and protected by the flange 23 in such a manner that this flange and the bottom closure will receive the impacts to which the lower end of the bucket is subjected in use.

The inset horizontally disposed bottom wall 21 of the bottom closure 20 is provided with a central opening extending transversely therethrough to provide the combined inlet and discharge port 25 of the bucket. A controlling valve is provided for the port 25 and includes a mounting therefor comprising a lower arched bearing bracket 41 extending diametrically across and above the port and secured to the bottom. wall 21 of the closure QO'by means'of bolts 42 extending through the ends of the bracket and the wall 22. The

outer endsof the bolts 42 are provided with the usual or any other desired nuts or fas- 1 form alined bearings to permit vertical movement of the valve stem to seat and unseat the valve on and from the bottom closure 20 and the port 25 therein. The valve 4:0 is preferably formed of any suitable or desired flexible material confined between upper and lower washers a6 detachably sei cured on the valve stem 45. The valve stem extendsinwardly and upwardly a distance above the upper bearingbracket 44 and is provided with an eye or the like 47. Thus, it is apparent that the valve assembly so mounted on the bottom closure 20 provides a stem which is confined in alinement by spaced upper and lower hearings in such a manner thatjthe valve -l-0 can be raised thereby from seated position, on the bottom wall 21 to open the port 25 therethrough, and can belowered to position seated on the bottom wall and closing the port therethrough.

The upper end of the well bucket A 1s provided with an upper bail 30 secured to the interior of the upper reduced end of the bucketbody 10 by rivets or the like attaclr ing means and provided with opposite outwardly extending bends 32 which extend a distance beyond the bucket body 10. A second bail 31 is secured across and above theupper end of the bucket body 10 and passes a distance below the upper bail 30.

The bail 31 is disposed across the upper end of the bucket 10 at substantially right angles to the upper bail 30, and is provided with the opposite bends 33 extending outwardly beyond the bucket body 10, in a a manner similar to the bends 32 of the bail 30. By this construction the upper reduced end 11 of the bucket body is protected against contact with or catching on the walls of a well in raising and lowering the bucket A therein, as the outwardly extended rounded bends 32 and 33 engage with and prevent the upper end of the bucket from contacting with the walls of a well.

A valve lift rod 34 is pivotally connected or linked to the eye 47 of the valve stem 4:5 and extends upwardly through the bucket and the lower bail 31 and is provided with a retaining and operating ban dlc 35*thereabove.

In operation and use the bucket A is attached to any usual or other suitable lowering and hoisting cable (not shown) by the upper bail 30. The bucket is then lowered into a well and the valve is forced to open position by the body of fluid in the well as the bi'lcket enters there-into and passes therethrough, the valve being guided and maintained in alinement by the valve stem 4:5, and limited in upward opening movement by the lower, arched bearing bracket 41. After the desired quantity of fluid has entered the bucket through the open port 25, the bucket is raised, and when raised the weight of the fluid acting on and bearing downwardly against the valve 40 forces the same into position seated on the bottom wall 21 closing the port 25 and re taining the contents of the bucket therewithin against discharge through the port 25. Upon removal of the filledlnicket from a well the contents thereof can be discharged at the desired point of distribution by lifting the valve rod 34, through handle 35 on the lower bail 31, which draws the valve stem upwardly and unseats the valve 40 to pernnt discharge of fluid through the port 25.

Attention is particularly directed to the construction and mounting of the bottom closure and of the controlling valve assembly unit. The impacts, shocks and jars to which the well bucket is subjected are re ceived by the lower edge and upturned flange 23 of the bottom closure which covers and protects the lower edge of the bucket body 10. Thus breakage and injuries from use are primarily confined to and occur in j the bottom closure unit and not in the bucket body, so that it is not necessary to re place the bucket body 10 due to injury and ireakage at the lower end of the bucket as the bottom closure is removable as a unit and can bereplaced upon injury thereto or breakage thereof. Further, the lower end of the bucket is materially strengthened by the vertically disposedcorrugations forming the lower reduced end thereof over and to which the bottom closure is attached.

The valve assembly unit is so constructed and mounted, that it may be raised from the bottom wall 21 for inspection, repair or replacement by removing the fastening means for the attaching bolts 42, and then raising the valve assembly to the top or upper end of the bucket by means of the lift rod 34. The provision of the spaced upper and lower bearing brackets with the alined bearings in which the short valve stem at is mounted and pivotally connected to the valve lift rod 34, maintains the valve in proper operative position against the shocks int:

and jars to which it is subjected by the impacts occurring at the lower end of the bucket in use thereof. Thus, the valve lift rod 3d performs a double function, that of norn'ially providing means for lifting the valve 40 to unseated position for discharge of the contents of the bucket: and that of raising the entire valve assembly as a unit to the upper end of the bucket for inspection or repair, or for removal from the lift rod for replacement.

It is evident that various changes, modifications, substitutions and departures might be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not desire to limit the invention to the exact disclosures hereof.

Desiring to protect my invention in the broadest manner legally possible, what I claimis:

1. A well bucket, comprising a. bucket body. a bottom closure attached in and closing the lower end thereof, said bottom closure provided with a port therethrmigb, and a valve unit detachably mounted on said bottom closure for controlling the port therein, the said valve unit comprising upper and lower spaced bearing brackets detachably mounted on the bottom closure and disposed thereabove, a valve normally seated on said bottom closure in position closing the port therethrough, a valve stem at. tached to said valve and mounted in alined bearings in said spaced bearing brackets for vertical movement, and a lift rod pivotally connected to said valve stem for raising said valve to unseated posit-ion opening the port in said bottom closure.

2. In a drilled or bored well bucket, a bucket body having reduced upper and lower ends, a bottom closing the lower end thereof and formed with a port there through, a valve mounted in the lower end of said bucket for controlling the port in said bottom closure, a valve lift rod connected to said valve and extending upwardly through said bucket, a bail secured across the upper end of said bucket, extending upwardly therefrom and provided with op posite outward bends therein extending beyond the said bucket body, and a second bail secured across the upper end of said bucket a distance below said first mentioned bail at substantially right angles thereto and provided. with opposite outward bends extending beyond the said bucket body, the said valve lift rod extended upwardly through and mounted in said secondly mentioned bail.

3. In a drilled or bored well bucket, a bucket body having a reduced. upper end, and a pair of bails extending thereacross, one of said bails extending above and transversely of the other thereof and each of said bails formed with opposite outward bends extending beyond the wall of said bucket body to provide a protection therefor.

4. A valve-assembly and bottom unit for a bored or drilled well bucket body, comprising a metal bottom of inverted-cup shape constructed and arranged to longitudinally fit up into the lower end of the bucket body and be secured thereto and form the exterior lower end guard rim of the body, the lower end of said bottom extending outwardly and upwardly forming an annular exterior surrounding guard rim and open top socket to cover and protect the lower edge portion of the bucket body, the top wall of said bottom formed with a vertical port, a bearing bracket secured to and rising from said top wall. and a lift valve normally resting on said top wall closing said port and provided With a vertical valve stem guided by said bracket.

5. An elongated well bucket body having its lower end contracted and strengthened by crimping, a metal bottom fitted up into said lower end and secured thereto and having an elevated top wall within the bucket with an outlet port, a lift valve on said wall normally closing said port, said bottom having an annular depending wall within the bucket with its lower end turned outwardly below the bottom edge of the body and upwardly at the exterior thereof and forming the bottom guard or bumping rim of the bucket enclosing and protecting the lower end of the bucket body.

KNEUD E. LITTLE. 

